Attendance Bias

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Hi everybody and welcome to today's episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today’s guest is journalist and writer Mike Ayers. Mike’s new book, “Sharing in the Groove: The Untold Story of the ‘90s Jamband Explosion” covers exactly that–it’s an oral history of how a new scene and community developed, grew, and thrived in from the late 80s to the turn of the century. I read it in about 2 and a half days, and if you have any interest at all about the roots of our current jamband scene, it’s a must read.

If I may sound both nerdy and pretentious at the same time, I do consider myself a student of history. I’m fascinated by how customs, cultures, and patterns develop over time, whether or not we’re aware of them at the time. I love looking back, or listening to others–primary sources–look back and tell their stories with wisdom and insight. Park me in front of a Ken Burns documentary, and I’m occupied for hours. 

Now, if you do that and then make the topic something that I experienced and am genuinely interested in, I’m hooked. That is what Mike’s book did for me. I caught the 2nd half of the 90s jamband explosion once I broke away from mainstream radio and got into Phish, moe., and then other lesser known jambands in the latter-half of the 90s. But all I knew about them were their music, the names of the bandmembers, and the basics of their history.  What Sharing in the Groove offers is the behind the scenes look as to what brought this music, and this scene to me, and to you, and how everyone had a role whether or not we knew it at the time. Mike and I talk about different topics that the book touches on for nearly an hour of this episode, yet we barely scratch the surface. Again, “Sharing in the Groove” is a must-read.

On top of that, Mike chose an all-time jam for his Attendance Bias pick: The Went Gin, “Bathtub Gin” from the Great Went festival, August 17, 1997. When he first suggested it, I was genuinely surprised that it hadn’t been discussed on this podcast already. Now, we don’t go deep into the festival itself, but this singular 15 minute jam is enough to break down and appreciate as much as any other track ever discussed on here.

But enough from me. Let’s join Mike to talk about fraternity budgets, tape trading, file sharing, God Street Wine, and more as we discuss his book Sharing in the Groove, as well as the Went Gin from August 17, 1997. 

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Hi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Whenever a guest messages me and wants to tell a story about a show from the fall 1995 tour, it’s nearly impossible to say no. And when it’s a guest who has previously been on the podcast, I know it’ll be a compelling conversation. Such is the case today, when Brian Blatt joins me to tell about Phish’s incredible show from December 7, 1995 at the Niagara Falls Convention Center in Niagara Falls, NY.

Brian is the host of the High Pitched Cavitation radio show, and has previously came onto Attendance Bias to discuss his experience seeing Phish in April, 1994 at the Concert Hall in Toronto. That conversation centered around seeing Phish in the great north at a time when they were at the tail end of their theater and smaller venue era but still playing large venues in the summer and the end of the year. They had a foot in both worlds, in a transition period. By today’s show in December 1995, the transition is nearly complete. Phish was at the end of a 3-month tour where they would play anything and everything. 

It came to a head in a most explosive way at Niagara Falls, and fans of a certain tape-collecting age know all about it. If you’re a newer or newish fan, you might know that this show has been released officially by LivePhish. Whether or not this show is new to you, it’s worth a listen for sure.

So let’s join Brian to talk about West Coast Phish, Western New York Phish, and Tetris, as we discuss December 7, 1995 at the Niagara Falls Convention Center, in Niagara Falls, NY.

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Hi everybody and welcome to today’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. I would imagine that most of us have been there: a Phish show where the first set gets off to a typical start, and then something happens-maybe a bustout or a special guest-that makes the show instantly memorable. Or maybe a show where the weather takes a turn for the worse and the show has to end early or there’s a downpour that’s almost as memorable as the music. Well, today’s guest, Ric Hickey is here to tell us about a show that has both: July 1, 1999 at the Starwood Amphitheater in Antioch, Tennessee. 

When Phish comes to Nashville, it’s not a given that there will be special guests onstage, but the odds are in your favor. Ric tells us about seeing Phish in the early 90s around the Cincinnati area and various parts of Ohio, but also how he became familiar with the Nashville area. The 1999 summer tour has become a popular time to discuss on Attendance Bias, and Ric was there for the tour’s first few shows in the southeast. While he wasn’t a bluegrass aficionado at the time, he was still impressed by the lineup of country royalty that joined Phish during the first set of this show for a mix of bluegrass standards and Phish originals. Then, a rollicking rainstorm caused an early end to the 2nd set, leaving most fans went, muddy, disoriented, but hopefully satisfied. But we’ll let Ric tell the story.

Let’s join Ric to talk about the complex chord progression of Billy Breathes, short-lived DAT recordings, and what a dobro guitar sounds like as we discuss July 1, 1999 in Nashville.

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 Hello everybody and welcome to today's bonus episode of Attendance Bias. Today is a recap episode, so it's going to be a little different from what you may expect from normal episodes. I do have a co-host today that is JW Josh from the Stub Me Down Podcast. He and I tend to do recaps after Phish runs that we've attended either together, or at least both of us attended at the same time.

And today is hot on the heels of the Forest Hills 2025, summer, two-night run, we both had a lot of thoughts about this two night run, about the crowd and the environment, the venue, as well as the music play. So today's gonna be a little different because I did not edit even a word of this, and I also did not include any music clips.

I thought it would be in the best interest to get it out as soon as possible. So whether you were at the Forest Hills two night stand, one night of them, or you weren't there at all, but you just want to get a look or a listen as to what it was like to be there, give it a listen. You could always hear Stub Me Down, Josh's podcast, anywhere you get podcasts, and then we'll continue regular episodes of Attendance Bias after the summer tour is over.

In the meantime, enjoy today's Forest Hills recap with myself, Brian Weinstein and Josh from the Stu Me Down podcast.

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Hi everybody and welcome to the last episode of this Attendance Bias mini-series, in which we previewed each venue Phish will play during their upcoming summer 2025 tour: We just took a look at a new venue to the Phish world: Forest Hills Stadium. Today, we turn our attention to an old favorite; a venue that has been a part of the Phish conversation longer than some fans have been alive, literally.

Today, I am joined by family: My sister in law, Liz Ratto, who coincidentally is not only a Phish fan who has been to SPAC several times, but is also a resident of Saratoga Springs! When planning out this series, I was a little nervous about this episode, because Phish has been playing this venue for so long, who knows what new information we could provide? But the answer is: a lot! Liz gives some great pro tips for not only attending the show, but things to do around Saratoga while you’re in town for these three nights that close the tour: July 25, 26, and 27.

Phish has a long history at SPAC, but an even longer history in Saratoga. But lets hear it from the locals. Join me and Liz to hear how to make the best of Phish’s final run of tour in Saratoga

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Hi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. Get ready for some venue whiplash; after three nights at the largest indoor venue on the tour in Chicago, Phish leaves the second city to arrive in New York. More specifically, July 22 and 23 at Forest Hills Stadium in Forest Hills, Queens; home to The Ramones, Simon and Garfunkel, and Peter Parker. 

If you’ve listened to Attendance Bias for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard me mention that I live in Forest Hills, so today’s episode is a homecoming; I don’t think I’ve ever lived closer to any music venue. Before these shows, I’ve never been able to walk to a Phish concert from my front door. And who would be the best guest in the world to give a preview of this venue and this neighborhood? None other than my wife, Michela Ratto. Michela has been on Attendance Bias once before, and while I mostly give background information and context about this venue that is new to the Phish world, she gives plenty of tips and tricks to help any listeners coming to these two shows, filling everyone in on what to expect.

We cover a lot in today’s episode; the history of the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, what the neighborhood is like, the best ways to get there, and of course we give our takes on the controversial headlines about the stadium that crop up ahead of every summer concert season. Ironically, this is the longest episode of this venue preview series, but there are no music clips, since Phish has not only never played the stadium before but they’ve never played the entire borough of Queens!

So join Michela and I to get the inside scoop on the Forest Hills Stadium, our theories as to why Phish chose to play the smallest New York City venue they’ve played in years, and where to get the best food once you get inside on July 22 and 23rd. 

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Hi everybody and welcome back to the Attendance Bias mini series of previewing each venue of the Phish 2025 summer tour. By now, we’ve gotten the scoop on the SNHU Arena in Manchester, The Pete in Pittsburgh, the Moody Center in Austin, Folsom Field in Boulder, the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, the North Charleston Coliseum, and the Mann in Philadelphia. We are nearing the end of this series as our episode today focuses on Phish’s three-night run at the United Center in Chicago on July 18, 19, and 20. 

Today, I am joined by Brendan, longtime resident of the Chicagoland area, and he has seen his share of Phish shows in and around the Windy City. More to the point, he has seen tons of sporting events at the United Center, and attended two out of Phish’s three inaugural shows at the massive arena in the fall of 2023. 

Since Phish has only played one previous run at the United Center, there isn’t a lot to dig into there, but there is a ton to talk about when it comes to Phish’s Chicago history, the background of the venue itself, and obviously, recommendations for things to do around Chicago during this three-day run. Let’s join Brendan to talk about it all.

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Hi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. We are just past the mid-point of this Attendance Bias mini-series, in which we preview each venue Phish will play during their upcoming summer 2025 tour. We are coming off our visit to the Palmetto State for the North Charleston Coliseum, and today’s episode is all about a venue that feels like it’s been around forever in the Phish world: the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia, PA. I always group Philadelphia in with Merriweather Post, SPAC, and Jones Beach as part of the I-95 Corridor tour circuit, and while there is truth to that, there is a richer Phish history at The Mann than most venues. 

Today, I am joined by my friends Tom and Stephanie who have long-standing roots to Philadelphia and Tom especially has a long history with the Mann. While there may not be too much for northeast Phish fans to learn about Philadelphia, we do our best to offer recommendations, tips and tricks, and wallow in some good old nostalgia about past Phish shows in Philadelphia, as is our want here on Attendance Bias. 

So get pumped for July 15 and 16, as Tom, Stephanie, and I take a long look at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia.

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Hi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. We are at the halfway point of the tour by now, having just visited the Schottenstein Center in Columbus for the first time, it is now time to visit an old favorite: The North Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, South Carolina for a THREE NIGHT weekend run! A city brimming with both American history and Phish history, we are lucky enough today to be joined by Charleston native Dave Scozarro who tells us about both: places to see, things to do, and highlights from Phish’s 35 years playing The Holy City. 

In a sense, you can track Phish’s entire career arc by keeping track of the venues they’ve played in Charleston since 1990. From small clubs, to larger clubs, to small theaters, and finally, the N. Charleston Coliseum. They moved in in 1995 and never left. Sure, they played two shows at the local tennis stadium a few years ago, and Dave explains why it may not be such a great idea for the Phish crowd for them to continue there.

But there’s so much to love about both Charleston and the coliseum. World-class food in the city, general admission seating in the venue, and almost four decades of music to dig into. Let’s join Dave as he prepares us for July 11, 12, and 13 in Charleston.

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Hi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. We are almost at the halfway point of the tour by now, arriving from Phish’s 3-night holiday weekend stand at Folsom Field to one of the larger indoor venues on tour: the Schottenstein Center in Columbus on the campus of THE Ohio State University. This is Phish’s first time playing at the Schot, and luckily, today’s guests have a deep well of knowledge about both Columbus and the venue itself. My friends Ryan and Shannon are here to tell about different neighborhoods of Ohio’s capital city, great restaurant recommendations, and stories galore from Phish’s history in Columbus.

For the most part, the modern Phish touring machine has always stopped at the now-defunct Polaris Amphitheater when it was time for the tour to visit Columbus. However, a legendary storm–some remember it as a tornado–made its way over the city during a show in 2000, and Phish hasn’t been back since. The summer of 2025 is the return of the king.

In addition to huge venues and college campuses, that reinforces another trend of this upcoming tour; the band’s return to cities and towns that have been long-dormant on the Phish tour itinerary. Manchester, Boulder, Austin, and now Columbus fans are thrilled to welcome Phish back to their respective cities. Certainly, you can hear the excitement in Shannon and Ryan’s voices.

So let’s dive into pro digs for college kids with Ryan and Shannon to get ready for July 9 at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, OH.

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